IP-based URLs issue

I'm transferring my site to a new host's VPS, which is running apache. I've copied the site over to the new server but have not yet pointed the domain name to the new DNS.

I'm temporarily accessing the site on the new server by its dedicated IP address. There was an inexplicable problem with the site's links working correctly, but now the site's links are working just fine.

My new host says, "you cannot use the temp URL and get perfect results, your best bet is to [redirect the domain to the new IP address using your PC's] 'hosts' file, clear cache and access the site by the actual domain."

This doesn't sound right to me. My site's links are all relative and contain no domain name. If I'm pointing to a URL such as http://##.##.92.165/insurance-rates/year, shouldn't that just work regardless of DNS or browser history?

It seems to me that using IP-based URLs should be completely dependable, negating any need to alter my PC's hosts file to access the site by it's domain name. Am I incorrect?

"If I'm pointing to a URL such as http://##.##.92.165/insurance-rates/year, shouldn't that just work regardless of DNS or browser history?"
Yes, but only if you're positive there are no references to the domain name itself somewhere in your site. If there's something specific that doesn't work, that would be your clue where to look.

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Jonathan GreenbergAuthor Commented: 2013-06-11

Thanks, bepsoccer1. It seems obvious, I just thought I'd get the take of someone other than myself. I can't understand why the support person at my new host didn't see that.

paulmacd, the domain name is not referenced anywhere in the source code of the page I was pointing to, nor in any php or any other scripting. The problem has resolved itself, apparently (although this is hard to understand) without the intervention of the host's support person, so there's no issue to look into. I'm good now, I just wanted to know if I was understanding things correctly.